The Lutheran Hour
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"God’s Word is the Key"
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Text: Luke 16:19-31
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PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You are our gracious Friend, our beautiful Savior, and our blessed Redeemer. Through Your death, You have paid the price for the sins of the whole world. By Your gracious resurrection, You have opened the gates of heaven for all people. By Your Spirit, O Lord, those who have ears — let them hear! And create in the hearts of all listeners the desire and the power to walk through Your bloody doors of forgiveness and into life everlasting. This, O Lord, we pray for all who receive Your Word with joy, for they shall be with You forever in Paradise. Amen.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “I would like to become a Christian” or, “I would like to believe in God, but I need some evidence God exists and Jesus Christ rose from the dead.”
Well, if the devil has ever tempted you with these thoughts, then before it’s too late, before Satan pulls you into his web of deception and death, before you forfeit your mansion in heaven, which Jesus is now preparing for you, first, listen very carefully to this parable Jesus told.
Jesus said, “Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen. This man led a life of great luxury.” “But,” Jesus explained, “there was also a poor man named Lazarus who was placed each day at the rich man’s gate.
“Poor Lazarus was covered with sores. And his only plea was to be fed the scraps from the rich man’s table.” “Oh” Jesus said, “the state of Lazarus was so low that the dogs came each day and licked his sores.”
Well, the Bible tells us one day poor Lazarus died. He was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom into heaven. To make things more interesting, Jesus explained, “The rich man also died and was buried.”
Jesus continues, “from his place in hell, the rich man looked up and saw Abraham far away. Abraham was holding poor Lazarus in his arms. Then the rich man cried out and said, ‘Please, please, Father Abraham, have pity on me. Please send Lazarus. Have Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in the water and cool my tongue. I am in agony in these flames [of Hell],’ the rich man cried. But Abraham replied, ‘Remember, remember, my son, how you used to get the good things in your lifetime but Lazarus got the bad. Well, now in this place poor Lazarus is being comforted but you are in agony in the flames of hell.’ ‘Furthermore,’ Abraham told the rich man, ‘a great chasm has been set between you and us so those who wish to come to you from this side cannot do so; and people cannot come to us from your side.’
Now upon this, the rich man said, ‘I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house because I have five brothers. Lazarus could tell them all about this and at least stop them from coming to this place of torture.’
Abraham, however, said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Therefore, they can listen to them.’
Now the rich man was still not silenced. So he said, ‘if only someone went to my brothers from the dead, they would change completely.’ But, Abraham knew better, you see. Abraham said to the rich man, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not be convinced even if somebody rose from the dead.'”
You see Abraham knew what he was talking about. In fact, the Gospels also record that on one occasion Jesus performed miracles in one city, and yet, many of those who saw these miraculous signs still refused to believe. In this parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus was emphasizing that if God’s miracle-working and life-giving Word cannot convince you; that is, if you prevent God’s life-giving Word from creating faith in your heart, then not even seeing a resurrection first hand will save you.
You see, friends, our gracious God is not a God of sensationalism. Our merciful Father limits His work to His sin-cleansing and life-giving Word. What a shocking parable Jesus told! He certainly emphasized the agony of hell and the blessedness of heaven. But the key point Jesus was making was, “Don’t look for God to hit you with a blinding light. Don’t look for God to provide you with some extraordinary evidence outside of Jesus and His Word. Don’t expect anyone to come back from the dead in a séance or some other foolish mystical experience. God has stated clearly and repeatedly that through His holy Word, and only through His Word, He provides you and me with everything — everything necessary to be saved from our sins and be welcomed into the mansions of heaven, into His very presence.
Now, note this also very carefully. Not only has our heavenly Father given us the information about heaven and hell, but this same information, this living Word of God, is the very power that “works within us.” The power that creates the faith is the faith through which God will graciously save you from the condemnation of your sins. And let’s add one more thing. The great miracle of God is that He enables you and me to believe His life-giving and soul-saving Gospel. No person is ever going to be saved because they found some evidence, and then decided to believe. The Bible says clearly in Romans chapter 10 that God does it all. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.”
Now, remember the Bible parable in which Jesus told how the rich man wanted someone to be sent to his brothers to warn them and help them avoid the torturous fire of hell. Do you recall how Abraham responded by saying if people don’t listen to God’s Word, even if someone rose from the dead, this wouldn’t make any difference, either?
Well, this is pretty much what is going on today. Not long ago, The Wall Street Journal wrote that “people in their 40’s and 50’s are now finding themselves at the peak of their careers, many wealthy from the stock market boom — but still feel there is something missing. In spite of all their material success, they are still dissatisfied!”
And now guess what? Some of them are actually thinking of going back to church. Imagine that. However, The Wall Street Journal article then says, “These searching people are not quite sure where or how to go back to church.”
One lady interviewed by the Journal said she, too, was searching for something; but didn’t know what it was. “But then,” she said, “it hit me. I was separated from God.”
Oh, there’s more from this lady! She tried to get in touch with God through the New Age gurus, the Dalai Lama, and Buddhism. She also tried taking a Bible history course at the university. But none of this satisfied her deep spiritual need. Then one of the professors encouraged her to take a Bible study course he was teaching at the local church.
The lady took this Bible course and began going back to church. She says, “I’m going to sound nuts, but it wasn’t until I asked God to forgive me for being away that I was comfortable going back to church.” Again, isn’t this interesting! This is what Abraham told the rich man in hell. You don’t need sensational events in your life to give you faith. Instead, God’s Word will not only create faith in your heart, but this same Word will continually strengthen your faith.
Well, stories like this from The Wall Street Journal are “every day, true to life” stories. This is what is happening in the new millennium. By the thousands, people today are searching and searching for religious fulfillment.
This is also why the parable Jesus told is so relevant and helpful to us today. With love and compassion, with mercy and grace, Jesus is explicitly explaining and proclaiming that your heavenly Father deeply desires you to be connected to Him.
However, always remember that God has stated clearly that He is not going to deal with you in a sensational way. Instead, God deals with His children through His healing and cleansing and forgiving and life-giving Word. This Word is a powerful force containing the life-giving message of God’s Gospel of mercy in Jesus Christ. And the Word tells how even though you are a sinner God loves you. This Word tells how Jesus died for every sin you have ever committed.
So, friends, don’t seek faith in sensationalism or intellectualism. Don’t do like the rich man and expect God to do something extraordinary just for you. Throughout the United States, Canada and around the world, people are searching libraries and bookstores hoping to find some kind of a convincing book or pamphlet that will give them faith. But don’t be misled, Jesus said, even if someone were to rise from the dead — even that does not replace the life-giving and faith-creating power of God’s Holy Word.
In His parable, Jesus explained that the rich man believed if someone came back from the dead people would wake up. But “No,” Abraham said. Only God’s Word has the power to wake people up, spiritually. Don’t wait around for something sensational to happen to give you faith. It will never happen. Instead, read God’s Word. Listen to God’s Word as it is preached and taught. Always see Christ as the central message of God’s Word. And cling to the promise that God spoke through the apostle John when he wrote, “These things, (the Scriptures) are written that you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in this, you might have life in His name” (John 20:31).
O Lord, today we pray, turn people away from sensationalism and turn them into Your soul-saving Word. In Jesus Christ, Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Q&As) for September 9, 2001 “God’s Word is the Key” 68-53
ANNOUNCER: Dr. Schulz, in the message today, you certainly touched on a topic that has troubled many of our listeners over the years. People often say they are “struggling” in their faith. They wish they had more evidence or more reason to believe.
SCHULZ: Indeed. I think this is true of many folks out there who honestly struggle with a desire to “believe” or “to have faith.” In fact, some of us can remember back a couple decades ago. This was a time when it was not fashionable or even “permissible” to discuss one’s personal faith or convictions in public.
ANNOUNCER: But that’s changed quite a bit, hasn’t it?
SCHULZ: It certainly has. In fact, it is now quite fashionable to discuss your faith on Wall Street, as The Wall Street Journal points out, or, to have all kinds of religious articles in major news magazines. Or, even on some pretty secular television talk shows, from time to time, their discussions drift into religion.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you think that is?
SCHULZ: Well, as I mentioned in the message today, this is what’s “happening” in the public. There was a time not long ago when we thought “religion” would be something that would sort of die away and our culture would become more “enlightened.” Well, as you know, just the opposite has happened. Some leading educators and other political leaders have tried to play down religion to “enlighten” our culture. As a result, they pulled the carpet out from underneath our culture.
ANNOUNCER: So what are we telling our people today as they are part of this confused, frustrated and searching culture?
SCHULZ: Well, Jesus’ parable is “right on.” There is no reason to go around looking for some book or magazine article or television program that enables you to believe or to have faith. It is precisely like Jesus said. We have the Bible. This is God’s Word. God’s Word is not only something we hear and “think about.” God’s Word is a tremendous power, which initiates, builds, and strengthens faith.
ANNOUNCER: Doesn’t the Bible also refer to the Word of God as food?
SCHULZ: It certainly does. Therefore, if a person wants to be strong in stature, they eat and drink healthy foods. Likewise, if you want a strong faith, you nourish yourself, your body, and soul on the living and life-giving Word of God. You know, if you study the Bible, you will find out very early the Word of God is totally different from the word of man. St. Paul mentions this in Thessalonians. The Word of God cleanses a person. The Word of God strengthens a person; it creates faith. Then, the Word constantly strengthens that faith, even as you go through life, until eternity.
ANNOUNCER: This is also why Jesus, in His parable, pointed out that He intended to give no other “sign” or any other evidence than the Word of God, which our heavenly Father has given us.
SCHULZ: Precisely! If we want to have faith, a saving faith, a real faith that will take us through thick and thin, then we have to do it God’s way and not our way. In the Gospel of John we read, “These things have been written so that you might believe Jesus is the Christ; and that by believing in this, you might have life in his Name.” It is very important to remember the Scriptures were written so when we read or hear them, they have an inherent power to create faith within us, to strengthen the faith within us, and to keep us in that faith even to the end. Finally, of course, the key to God’s Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ is the center of the Word. When the Word “is at work in your heart” it is not just giving you a religious feeling. The real Word of God, the dynamic life-giving Word, enables one to repent and turn to Jesus Christ and trust in Him as their Savior from sin. This, in the end, is what it’s all about. And, only the Word of God can do that. The word of man cannot accomplish this.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. Look for next week’s message titled, “The Tears of Jesus.”